It's been a long time since I took any exams, but one tip that I can give is that is important to take breaks from time to time! Simply cramming hour after hour is no good if you can't absorb the info. Take a short break every once in a while and try to absorb what you've just read, otherwise it's all lost like water though a sieve. If that sounds like common sense, well it is, but "exam advice" is not my speciality! :D

Geck-o-Lizard

10-12-06, 14:27

Find a room where you can work. Don't pick a room with a TV or computer in it, or you'll get distracted. Put on some music if you like, though. Also don't pick a room that's really warm or too cold, or you won't be able to study very well. (Too warm and you'll fall asleep; too cold and your fingers will be too cold to write well, and your brain will be focused on keeping you warm instead of learning your subjects)

If you're hungry, eat something when you take a break. Don't sit there with a pile of snacks or you'll just concentrate on munching them instead of working. ;)

Do your revision in half-hour or three-quarter-hour sessions. Take a ten minute break between them, so you can go have something to eat or get some fresh air. Don't spend more than about two hours solid going at it though, or you'll burn out and be unable to remember what you've spent all that time revising. Humans can only concentrate on something for a relatively short period of time.

Do two or three sets of three or four half hours every day. (When you break it down into little chunks like that, it makes it seem a bit less daunting because you can mark off your progress). But take a day off (Saturday?) so you can unwind and get ready for the next week's revision.

Try and go over each subject twice a day - once in the morning and again in the evening - as that'll help get the stuff into your head.

And lastly, write up a timetable of subjects you need to revise. Split the week up into half hours and plan out what subjects you'll revise, and when. Take extra time for the subjects you need to work most on. You should have at the very most 12 blocks of half hours every day (that's 3 sets of 4 half hour sessions), though 8 blocks a day would still work (2 sets of 4 half hour sessions).

As for actual revision technique, that differs with every person. I used to revise my science type subjects by going through old exam papers and question books and answering them without my study materials, then going over it with the answers and correcting what I got wrong. In German, I learned words and vocab by just repeating them and writing them over and over, and by reading passages of text written in German.

Hope that helped. :whi:

scion05

10-12-06, 14:47

Ive got bad tests too so i'll take it into account :)
I can tell ive failed the maths one :o

Greenkey2

10-12-06, 17:10

Find a room where you can work. Don't pick a room with a TV or computer in it, or you'll get distracted. Put on some music if you like, though. Also don't pick a room that's really warm or too cold, or you won't be able to study very well. (Too warm and you'll fall asleep; too cold and your fingers will be too cold to write well, and your brain will be focused on keeping you warm instead of learning your subjects)

If you're hungry, eat something when you take a break. Don't sit there with a pile of snacks or you'll just concentrate on munching them instead of working. ;)

Do your revision in half-hour or three-quarter-hour sessions. Take a ten minute break between them, so you can go have something to eat or get some fresh air. Don't spend more than about two hours solid going at it though, or you'll burn out and be unable to remember what you've spent all that time revising. Humans can only concentrate on something for a relatively short period of time.

Do two or three sets of three or four half hours every day. (When you break it down into little chunks like that, it makes it seem a bit less daunting because you can mark off your progress). But take a day off (Saturday?) so you can unwind and get ready for the next week's revision.

Try and go over each subject twice a day - once in the morning and again in the evening - as that'll help get the stuff into your head.

And lastly, write up a timetable of subjects you need to revise. Split the week up into half hours and plan out what subjects you'll revise, and when. Take extra time for the subjects you need to work most on. You should have at the very most 12 blocks of half hours every day (that's 3 sets of 4 half hour sessions), though 8 blocks a day would still work (2 sets of 4 half hour sessions).

As for actual revision technique, that differs with every person. I used to revise my science type subjects by going through old exam papers and question books and answering them without my study materials, then going over it with the answers and correcting what I got wrong. In German, I learned words and vocab by just repeating them and writing them over and over, and by reading passages of text written in German.

Hope that helped. :whi:

There's some really solid advice there Geck :tmb: As a home learner I have a tendency to take good study habits for granted :o

I'd add to the list:

*make sure you get plenty of good quality sleep. Revising won't mean a thing if you're too tired to take anything in, or start nodding off during the exam. I recommend going to bed earlier (say no later than 9:30pm) - so even if you have trouble falling asleep you still have plenty of hours in which to do it!

*as Geck has said, take regular breaks - and try doing something active at least once a day. This not only clears your head (especially if done outside) but also helps with sleep.

*don't underestimate the power of the weird! When you take notes, go wild on the paper so each fact becomes something memorable. My notes are a riotous homage to the highlighter pen, and I've even been known to doodle a rude (or at least funny) cartoon when I'm having trouble committing a difficult concept to memory.

Above all, remember that you're a human being, not a machine. Look after yourself and the rest will follow :wve:

CerebralAssassin

11-12-06, 03:49

'Studing' tips huh? to be a stud (like moi,for instance) you simply have to be born with it...:D

Captain Mazda

11-12-06, 04:11

'Studing' tips huh? to be a stud (like moi,for instance) you simply have to be born with it...:D

I believe he was going for 'studying', not 'studding' ;)

CerebralAssassin

11-12-06, 05:52

I believe he was going for 'studying', not 'studding' ;)

haha...hey..you know what man?it never occured to me that LL made a typo...even though all the posts here talk about "studying"? :p

anyway,I think Gecko is spot on except for the music part...I've found music to be highly distracting..I encourage music during the breaks though!:D